Hanyo Haven
by DKscribe88
Summary: A princess fair; A half-demon hated. Lives tied together; it seems they are fated. A tyrant king who must soon fall; Lest it lead to the ruin of all. Romance, drama, and adventure await; All those who click on this story's blue gate.
1. Prologue

A/N: What's up my readers?! I've decided that because of my writer's block, I am going to write a new story about my favorite couple, KonoSetsu! Unfortunately there is no poetry in the actual story, but I've decided to include some in my little introduction. But first, an awesome update of my life. And no, it does not include a girlfriend. Instead, I got a new job. Hooray! No more working at an evil fast food restaurant! I now work at GNP, which, for those of you who don't know, is Central North America's leading producer of chicken. Factory work though it may be, I like it. I'm finally getting strength back in my arms, I get paid almost twice what I had at my other job, and there's finally a good mixture of cultures, because I live in a primarily white town, which I think sucks! Oh, and I'm the Lead's gopher, which is a compliment to my work effort and quick to learn skill, don't you think? I'm saving up for an apartment, although it's hard to find a cheaper one that's in a good neighborhood in my town. Well, I just might have to get a conceal and carry license, or carry one of my good knives with me. Oh, well. Moving out is supposed to involve some risk. And when I get a raise, I can always upgrade. There is one problem I have to deal with at work. All of the Somali guys seemed to have a crush on me! I have no prejudice, but I like girls, and I'm not really into being anyone' third wife. Anyway, let's get this story amovin'! First, here's a little poem I made up as a possible pickup line for girls.

_Before me's a cute little miss;_

_Who's greatly deserved of a kiss_

_If I were more forward, then I would move toward_

_Becoming this cute miss's bliss_

Important A/N: I have to give credit where credit is due. I borrowed a few ideas and themes from 'Sword and the Needle,' A brilliant work of fiction by Kailor Aurelius. Such themes include vague mention of slavery, tyrant king (but not a demon lord), and hidden rooms within a certain princess's castle, except for different reasons than Kailor's. And I do not in any way own Negima?!

Well, to use a very popular and in my opinion, very worn-out intro, "On with the show!"

Prologue

The sun was shining, bright and cheerful as Konoe Konoka, princess and heir to the throne of the kingdom of Mundus Magicus rode in her royal white carriage for yet another publicity engagement for the continued support of her family's reign. This particular visit was to one of the farms that supplied the castle with food deemed fit only for royalty.

As the carriage moved slowly and elegantly down the ridiculously long path leading to the farmer's house, she sighed, staring out the open air window at the vast fields of wheat waving from a gentle summer breeze.

_Another tedious meeting to serve as a tool to ensure father's rule. Sooo much fun. _ She thought sarcastically. There was bound to be much bowing and scraping from the farmer and workers, which annoyed her to no end. But don't get her wrong. She liked spreading kindness among the people of her kingdom, but since it was the season of crop growth she had seen _way_ to many farms in the last few months.

The carriage finally approached a quite impressive abode, looking more like a plantation mansion, than a farmhouse. Stopping near the elaborate porch, complete with marble columns supporting its roof, her main attendant; Hiroshi; dismounted from one of the many pristine white steeds that formed the princess's caravan and opened the door to the carriage. Lightly grasping the elegantly extended hand from the doorway; he assisted the princess down the few small steps leading to the dirt gravel ground. Luckily, there had been no recent rain, so mud was not an issue. The farmer and the main foreman waited for Konoka at the bottom of the porch stairs, bowing deeply as she approached them.

_Oh, great. Here we go…_

"Greetin's yer highness," the farmer said, attempting to formalize the words as best he could with his simple country accent. "We sincer-sincinerler…Greatly appreciate your highness gracin' us with her presence." The man stuttered horribly. Konoka sighed in her mind.

_Why,_ she wondered,_ do they always try to speak 'royal' to me? Blue blood, or redneck, it all comes out the same kind of bullshit. _

"I am very much honored to be here," Konoka replied, putting on a tight smile. Hoping to end the visit as quickly, yet gracefully as possible she quickly added, "I eagerly await the tour of your lovely facilities. So, let us dispense with the formalities and proceed."

"Certn'ly, yer highness. Right this way," The farmer gestured in the direction of one of the vast wheat fields. The one that was the most vibrant and beautiful. Unfortunately the farmer set a rather slow pace, making sure the princess could gaze at every detail of the establishment, no matter how insignificant.

They stopped at the edge of the wheat field, and Konoka ran her hands through the swaying stalks, in an obvious attempt to show appreciation for the quality of the grain.

"Here's the main field we harvest fer the wheat used in yer table's bread. This is the most fert-the most ferti… the best land we got and its sole purp-uh its purpo…We only us it for y'all. It's tended by our best workers and run by our lead foreman, Mr. Shiina. This field is given the best…" The farmer droned on and on about the whole process of growing the wheat and harvesting the crop, until Konoka silently pleaded desperately to Hiroshi to get this tour moving.

"Can you show us the process of grinding the wheat into grain, I imagine it's most fascinating?" Stated the attendant tactfully. The farmer realized he was blabbering on, and took a small hop as he gestured for the tour to move forward.

They proceeded to a large building, booming loudly with the sounds of the grinding stones. A small wonder of mechanics and a little bit of magic, it reduced the chances of anyone losing a hand to the dangerous apparatus. The farmer then began to drawl out another long, and probably rehearsed speech, when, between the mill and the chicken coups that provided eggs to the castle, Konoka heard a loud yell of pain. She turned towards the noise, and a look of horror spread across her face as she spied the source. A man wielding a nasty looking whip cracked down upon the dirty, disheveled form of a girl who had apparently collapsed whilst attempting to move a bag of grain much too heavy for a normal person.

"Get up ya worthless hanyou! We don't feed ya for nappin' on the job. I said MOVE!" CRACK! Another harsh smack was heard as the tightly braided leather struck the girl's backside once more. Noticing the man's words, Konoka then noticed the dirt-covered, muddy brown wings protruding from the girls back, along with clearly seen vertebrae. The girl yelled once again, struggling to get up, but failing and slumping pathetically on the ground.

"Have it your way you abomination! I'll help ya up." The man sneered, firmly grasping the girl's right wing and twisting sharply. Even from where Konoka stood, an audible crack was heard. The girl gasped and groaned in terrible agony as the man released her wing, which now hung at an odd angle. Barely able to get to her knees, the girl was then viciously kicked in the ribs, causing her to collapse, unmoving.

Konoka's face twisted into a snarling position, teeth bared in rage. She stalked from her location aggressively, before loudly incanting a spell and shooting arrows of light at the girl's tormentor. The man flew backwards and hit a fence, breaking it. She bent down, intent on lightly brushing the girl's shoulder, only for her to flinch back from the touch.

"Easy now. No one will harm you anymore. Just stay still." Konoka comforted, as if trying to soothe a frightened animal. The girl began shaking, scared of everyone and everything. The farmer had finally noticed the princess's absence and looked around frantically, finally spotting her down the small alley. He saw what drew her attention, and his face turned white in fear.

"Oh, no…"

Phew! That was tough. Haven't written anything in chapter form for a none-poetic story since…Well, it's been awhile. So, whatddya think? Please point out any spelling or other type of grammatical error, unless it's a deliberate mistake on the part of the farmer's speech pattern. I constantly reread and correct my stuff, but I always seem to miss something. I know it's short, but I've a feeling all my chapters will be near the same length, unless I get a particularly juicy idea in my head of how the story should go. Well, I am going to attempt sleep now folks. Reviews are welcomed, good, bad or ugly! And I will finish Paparazzi also. Peace out and good night readers!


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey there my readers! Thought I'd give you two chapters in one day, since sleep has eluded me. Decided not to promise to update soon, since it probably won't happen. I hate lying, even if it is indirectly and not on purpose. I apologize for my grievous error. And I would've had this up sooner, but our state got hit with a bad storm, and we are still out of power. It' been 2 days, with a possibility of another 2 still to come. This sucks! I'm a spoiled American and I demand to have my electricity, dangit! (Sigh) Sorry about that. Anyway…I've taken inspiration from the cartoon Teen Titans, which I do not own, for this fic, as you'll see in later chapters. I've taken the overused idea of the character Raven, who is also a half-demon, and happens to loath herself to no end. It's perfect for Setsuna in this story. So, as stated before, I do not own Negima?! Which sucks, and credit for some themes of this story is to be given to Kailor Aurelius. Now, who's up for another poem? This one's quite a bit longer, but I love it, and so did my college creative writing class. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

_Red_

_A word that can mean many different things_

_It burns up in flames, or dyes a cardinal's wings_

_A bringer of death in some great war_

_Blood soaking into the ground on a foreign shore_

_A torch to be carried, providing some light_

_The color of Leo, brave constellation of night_

_A blush that brightens cheeks from a first kiss_

_Or from an embarrassing moment as friends reminisce_

_The skin of an apple, ripe to be picked_

_A cut on the chin where the razor had nicked_

_The color of love on Valentine's Day_

_Of passion, and romance, and roses they say_

_What you see tint your vision as hatred arises_

_It can be anything, life's full of surprises_

_Red is a feeling, an intense sensation_

_It pumps through our veins and colors the flag of our nation_

_It brings out the best and the worst in us all_

_Red can lift us up or cause us to fall_

_Regardless of what red makes you feel, think, or do_

_Its potential is endless, it's all up to you_

* * *

Thoughts and comments are encouraged in the form of reviews, as long as you also comment on the story itself. If you only say something about the poem, it doesn't count as a real review. Well, to me anyway. If that's all you want to do, feel free to PM me. Well, enough chatter. I'll change the intro a little bit. Tell me if it's any less used.

Let us begin…

* * *

Chapter 1

"Yer highness, I can explain," the farmer began, only to cower in fear as Konoka glared daggers at him.

"You can explain?! Explain the whipping of an exhausted girl that hasn't the strength to even stand up, let alone defend herself! It must be one Hell of an explanation!" The attendants were shocked. The princess rarely ever resorted to such harsh language.

The farmer gulped as he began his story.

"Ya see, we own the forest over yonder," He indicated towards the east to a wide, dense woodland. "We hunt deer and small animals when times get dif-er-dificu…When we can't grow nothin'. And we need evr'y animal we can get. Some of my huntsmen heard a deer let out a gargled bleat, from what sounded like its throat bein' tore out. As-assu…Thinkin' it was a wolf, they ran in the direction of the noise and found a girl had slain a deer with quite a long sword. She was quite scrag-uh-scragig…skinny-lookin', and my men easily caught her. Stealin's a crime, no matter what age the thief, but since she was so young, we didn't send her to jail where she would be locked up and maybe lose a hand, or somethin' gruesome like that. Instead we offered her to work on the farm. She would be prov-provi… given a sleepin' place and food if she met her quota fer the day. She was quite stubborn, but she agreed. Sometimes, though, she wasn't workin' fast enough, and needed pers-persusy…reasonin' with. We decided since she was a strong hanyou that cor-cor-po-ral…a beatin' was best. And besides, she's nothin' but a lowly half-demon anyway, so who cares?" Konoka got even angrier, if possible, at that last statement.

"I do! Slavery is outlawed in our kingdom, and it seems you blatantly ignored that law in your twisted sense of 'justice.' As princess and an authority over you, I must therefore decide our punishment, and shall do so forthwith. Your sentence: all business with the royal household shall be cut off, all 'alleged' deals made between you and this girl are resolved, and your land taken for a period of two years as penance for all injuries caused."

"Two years! We'll be bankrupt by then!"

"The sentence is rather light, considering the heinousness of the crime. Soldiers will be coming tomorrow to make sure you move out. I shall oversee it myself princess." Hiroshi stated firmly. The princess nodded, then turned toward the girl.

"Hiroshi, I'm going to put a sleep spell on her so that we can move her without much pain. You may then carry her to the carriage and make her as comfortable as possible. Is that understood?"

"Yes princess."

Konoka then leaned over the girl, who, although drifting in and out of consciousness, stopped her hand as it drew close. "Shh, it's alright. I'm not going to hurt you." Konoka attempted to soothe her.

"Wait." The girl said, hardly able to draw breath. It seemed that last kick may have cracked, or broken a few ribs. "The stable, take me to the stable." Konoka hesitated. "Please." The girl begged. Deciding her arm would not be released until the request was allowed, Konoka sighed, and indicated that Hiroshi should pick her up. The man gingerly lifted the all too light girl, awkwardly holding her because of the broken wing. Konoka strode toward the shed, Hiroshi gently walking behind her. The girl grunted in pain with each step, eyes tearing up. They entered the stable, and a shaky hand was pointed in the direction of a far corner. They found naught but a tattered threadbare rag-of-a-blanket to shelter her, but saw nothing important. The girl then pointed to a board beside her 'bed'.

"Yank it loose." She commanded softly. Konoka approached, and dug her fingers under the board, sliding it out with little effort. Behind it, was the most beautiful nodachi she'd ever laid eyes on. Insanely long, yet hidden in a simple but elegant wooden sheath, it sent out an aura of enormous power. Konoka drew the blade slightly, just as the girl lost consciousness. In clearly engraved kanji were the names 'Yuunagi', and 'Setsuna.'

"Setsuna. That must be her name. It's beautiful. Ok, Hiroshi, let us depart."

"Yes, your highness." He followed her back to the carriage, where their roles were reversed, with Konoka opening the door for her attendant. He carefully climbed in, settling the girl; Setsuna; onto a seat on her uninjured wing's side. He removed himself, and helped Konoka in, who seated herself beside Setsuna and positioned her head in her lap. Despite the girl falling unconscious, Konoka placed a sleeping spell over her, making sure she felt as little pain as possible on the journey back. A Sharp flick could be heard outside as the driver urged the horses forward, and a swift jerk was felt as the carriage lurched forward. The movement nearly caused Setsuna's limp body to topple onto the floor, but a quick reflex by Konoka saved her. Sighing heavily, Konoka looked out the window, as she had done earlier; her hands idly stroking through Setsuna's bedraggled raven hair.

_Father's not going to like this. Not at all…_

* * *

Thus ends the chapter. So, as before, all reviews are appreciated. Feel free to point out any errors made by this humble scrivener. No promise of a quick update. And, of course, peace out, readers!


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: What's up my readers? Hopefully this chapter finds you having a good day that just got better via the update. I am doing alright, except for the fact that the cottonwood trees have bloomed and I am allergic. The REALLY sucky thing is that we have 4 gigantic ones in the yard. Oh, well; life is full of little ironies and bad coincidences that can severely inconvenience you, but you still fight your way through, don't ya? On the bright side, I did buy new headphones cuz the old ones wore out. $300+ because BOSE are the best and completely worth it, right? No poetry this time. Sorry to anyone that's a fan, but this chapter's been bugging me the last few days, and I wanted to write and send it out ASAP. Well then.

Let us begin…

Chapter 2

The gates of the castle creaked slowly open to an immaculately well-groomed courtyard. It consisted of a circular drive for the loading and unloading of passengers made of white cobblestone, with a garden of randomly placed, but yet somehow beautifully arranged flowers of all colors within the circle, and bewitchingly elegant cherry blossom trees in each corner. The doors to the keep were of a honey brown finished wood and were attended by doormen dressed in the burgundy and white colors of the royal household. However, they were utterly ignored as Hiroshi quickly dismounted, performing his duty of helping the princess out of the carriage, and proceeding to gently pick up the disheveled form of Setsuna as Konoka strode brusquely forward, barging past the doormen and throwing open the doors so hard there was an audible crack as the hard wood split. The doormen paled when they saw this. How were they ever going to explain that to the king?

The main attendant to the castle, surprised by the disgraceful entrance and unexpectedly quick return of the princess jumped 2 full feet in the air, dropping various documents he was organizing for the king.

"Princess! What brings you back so-"

"Save it Remy! Call Shizuna and have her meet me in the guestroom adjoining my room. Tell her to bring all the medicine she can carry to treat infected wounds. And have her bring a strong painkiller also." Remy was about to jump right on that, when he saw the 'creature' Shizuna would be treating.

"Your highness, I must protest! If your father were to see that, THING, in here, he-"

"Silence, and do as you're ordered!" She'd cut him off again, glaring with a cold hatred reserved only for her worst enemies. When he still, to her well-hidden amazement, hesitated, she flicked her wrist. The guards that had rode with her small caravan marched forward, several of them grabbing the hilts of their swords to 'persuade' him. He turned 6 shades of white before running towards the hall leading to the healer's ward.

"MISS SHIZUNA!"

Satisfied, she thanked and dismissed her guards, beckoning Hiroshi to follow her. They stepped quickly up a grand marble staircase, taking a sharp left to a hall consisting of two ornate doors, and a small broom closet on the other side, further down. Konoka swiftly opened the first door, which lead to the guestroom.

"Set her down gently, Hiroshi." The man did as he was bid, making sure not to jostle the awkwardly hanging wing. "Thank you, Hiroshi. Now I need you to do one last thing,"

"Anything you wish, princess."

"I need you to fetch me Tsubasa." Hiroshi immediately understood, and bowed before moving towards the door, closing it quickly, yet quietly. Tusbasa was the caretaker for the royal aviary, taking care of the many different birds who entertained guests with their striking colors. He mended any injuries the animals might acquire, so she thought that maybe he would be able to fix Setsuna's wing. Shizuna, as far as she knew, had no experience with birds, or in this case bird half-demons, so it was worth a shot.

Konoka turned from the doorway as she heard a groan. Setsuna had begun to writhe in pain, sweating profusely and moaning softly.

_That's strange,_ Konoka thought. _That's one of the strongest sleeping spells I know. She shouldn't be awake for a day, at least! Oh, Shizuna, I wish you'd hurry up!_ A few minutes later, Dr. Shizuna Minamoto walked into the room followed by a frowning Remy, whose arms were overloaded with various medical supplies. He absolutely hated carrying anything for the good doctor. She treated him like an abused pack mule, and loved every minute of it. Shizuna shared the disdain Konoka had for him. She gestured to an empty desk for him to set the supplies on, and then ordered him out abruptly thereafter. She then turned and observed Konoka applying a cool, wet cloth to a seriously injured girl.

"All right. So what's the story? How in Mundus Magicus did she end up like that?" Konoka began recounting her visit to the farm, as Shizuna forced Setsuna to drink a pain relieving potion and stripped her of her clothes, cutting away the thin, coarse fabric that had been her only protection against many a fierce winter inside the drafty stable, aside from the ragged blanket. The doctor took stock of all the outer injuries, mostly consisting of the lashes received by the whip that had split the skin numerous times, overlapping scars from previous assaults. Before she treated those, she felt around the bones of her arms, legs and chest, finding two broken and three cracked ribs.

"Well, she could use some fattening up, but all-in-all it could be worse. Although I must say I haven't ever seen anyone worse, I might add. Some of the lashes on her back are infected, which accounts for her fever, but she shouldn't be in this much pain. I wonder why she-"

"It's because of her particular breed. Bless my eyes, she's a real, true half-crow demon!" A short, slightly fat little man, completely bald, with squinting eyes interrupted the puzzled woman in answer to her question.

"A crow demon? I didn't think they existed. I heard crows were very strict in keeping their bloodlines pure." The doctor commented. Tsubasa grinned, happy to relate some of his vast avian knowledge to the brilliant woman.

"Yes, it is true crows are very dedicated to preserving their bloodline's purity, but there are a small few that deviate from that tradition. Unfortunately, those who do are condemned to death; for to breed with a human is considered treason." At those words, Konoka looked at Setsuna's fever reddened face with tender sympathy. Tsubasa continued. "The poor thing," He said, as if speaking of one of his birds. "I take it I'm here about her wing?" The princess nodded.

"Yes. Shizuna doesn't have any experience with wings, so if you could set it, I would greatly appreciate it. Also, what did you mean about her breed being responsible for her pain?"

"Yes, could you please shed some light on that? Maybe then, we might figure out how to lessen her pain." Shizuna asked.

"Well," Tsubasa began, "as you know, different types of hanyou's possess different powers. Foxes manifest fire. Rabbits possess super speed. Crows have several powers, one of them being a rapid form of self-healing magic. The pain this girl is in is caused by her bones attempting to rapidly knit together. What would take a normal human 6 weeks to heal, takes a crow demon only 2. But there are disadvantages to this power. If the crow cannot set the fractured bone in time, it will heal in the wrong position. In the case of a broken wing, this can hinder the ability to fly, or even render them flightless. But I take it this break was made recently?" A nod from Konoka confirmed his assumption. "Then it shouldn't be a problem. However, there is one thing that might make this difficult. Another downside to their healing magic is that the pain is increased compared to what humans feel. No amount of our pain relievers will help her, and with her constant writhing it is going to be very hard for me to set the bone correctly."

"That's terrible. What can we do?" Konoka exclaimed, once again glancing worriedly at the wounded girl.

"I believe I can help you there." Everyone turned to the voice. A short, blonde haired girl leaned against the door of the room's closet, an evil smirk plastered upon her youthful face. She spoke in a heavy British accent, with an almost constant haughty sarcastic tone. "But as you know with my magic there is always a price to be paid."

"Evangeline, when did you get here?" Konoka questioned. She didn't sound surprised by the girl's sudden appearance, as that was a normal happening. Evangeline strode closer, a dark glint in her eye.

"Oh, just a few seconds ago. Anyway, getting back to what I was saying. A price must be paid. I know a spell that would render her unconscious for a day or so. It also has a paralyzing effect on its victims, so setting her bone should be no problem. The downside is that when she wakes up, any pain that has been caused to her while she was asleep is felt 3-fold. You see, this type of spell is used by dark mages to torture their victims. They knock them out, then proceed to torture them mercilessly, and then they allow them to wake up, writhing in agony. Quite entertaining if you ask me. The king has me do it sometimes and I always enjoy the spectacle. So, do you want my help, or will you risk keeping the bird down permanently?" Evangeline asked, sounding as if she didn't care either way. The other three thought about it for quite some time, weighing the pros and cons. Finally, they looked at each other and nodded.

"Go ahead and do it. She may be in for some serious pain, but I don't think that could ever compare to what she would feel if she could never fly again. But let's just get it over with." Konoka said. She then walked over to the bed, bending down, she whispered, "I'm sorry," to the poor girl, grasping her hand in comfort as Eva came over to the other side.

"Lic lac la lac lilac…" With that her hands turned into claws, and a dark energy surged from her fingertips and into Setsuna's body. The girl suddenly stilled; dead to the world. The mage stepped back then, and Tsubasa went over to the girl' right side, feeling her delicate wing, and locating the break. He then grasped the appendage and twisted sharply, a loud crack reverberating around the room. Everyone winced except Evangeline, who giggled psychotically, tapping her fingers together in pleasure. As the mage had stated, Setsuna showed no reaction to the bone being set, so Shizuna set about the task of treating her other injuries, while Tsubasa wrapped her wing with a splint. All the while the girl lay still, oblivious to everything around her.

But oh, the pain that would await her when she awoke.

Another chapter done. God, but I hated to write this chapter. However, I felt a short background was needed on crow demons, and so the explanations might be tedious, but I felt they were necessary. As you read, Evangeline showed up much the same as she did in Kailor's story, but in this one Eishun is aware of the dark mage. Hopefully it's different enough not to offend any fans, or Kailor. Again, if you catch any mistakes, let me know. I reread the prologue and found two small grammar errors, so I fixed them. I'm a perfectionist when it comes to this stuff. Anyway, I notice I tend to blather on and give you little updates of my life, and I hope nobody's annoyed with them. So, in closing, reviews are always welcome, so please do write them. Every writer is interested in other's opinions of their work. Trust me, I look for new ones every day, so please do write them. Well, again, no promises for updates, but I've kind of written the next 2 chapters in my head for sure, so it shouldn't take too long for me to write them. So with that…Peace out readers!


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: What's shakin' my readers? Whoo! This story is setting my creative juices on fire! I'm feeling _good!_ No one's objected so far, so I'll update my current life situation. We had a 4th of July party on the 6th; and it was awesome. I'm being trained for a new job at work. It's called the Process Control. I go around, checking for bad product, entering temperatures and other stuff in a computer, and running around in a sea of chaos. It's a bit overwhelming, but I have only been training for 5 days. Well, I get paid more for it, and I do need money. Speaking of which, I think I found an apartment, but the price is so cheap for everything it's probably too good to be true. But I may not have much choice in the matter, because I do not wish to have a roommate other than my faithful cat, Casper. Or maybe a girlfriend later on. Perhaps that's wishful thinking. But I digress, quite often I might add. I have since decided that my poetry is going to be featured sparingly, as thinking up new poems prohibits me from devoting my entirety to the story at hand, so I will have some out, just not now. Sorry to any fans who were hoping for a little. Oh, and this is very important: REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! I'm desperate for reviews. So please, whether you're anonymous, someone who reads avidly on this site, or just thought this story looked interesting, please write to me. Reviews make me inspired to write more. Remember that. Now then, this chapter deals with Eishun, and how he stands on his daughter's 'charity work'. I don't own Negima?! And I thank Kailor for his inspiration. So, without further ado…

Let us begin…

Chapter 3

Thunderous footfalls resounded throughout the castle's echoing halls. You could tell a lot from the sounds of footfalls within the keep, if you worked there long enough. From a maid's point-of-view this particular gate spoke of confidence…no that's not quite right. This was a very particular confidence. It was quite clearly arrogant, believing that nothing would dare step into its path to hinder it. The tight, sharp clicks were a mixture of military discipline, and an imperial expectance of submission without question. All those who heard this stride advancing towards their current location were instantly terrified; immediately they would cower and lower their eyes, thrusting themselves into their work with a fearful will. His will. The king's will.

Eishun, followed by a pathetically cowering Remy, charged towards the guestroom in the east wing. It was easy to see why all in the castle obeyed him. With his haughty, self-righteous countenance, a face that could rival a bear's in its fierceness, and a physique that spoke of untold amounts of strength under his robes he was, unquestionably, the most frightening man in all of Mundus Magicus. Glancing to his side as he walked, he glared at his attendant, irritated at the mouse of a man's attempts to spare him punishment.

"Please, your majesty, I tried to tell her not to bring it, but she threatened me! Her guards aren't as loyal to your will as they should be. When I speak, you know I do my best to speak for you, and that should have been enough, but no! They wouldn't listen, and they-" The king suddenly rounded on him, lifting him by his jacket clear off the ground, and slamming him into a wall, holding him there. He grinned at Remy then, and a laugh soon followed. A low humorless chuckle raking through his twisted mouth.

"You really think I would allow you to speak for me?" He asked coldly, not expecting an answer. "A sniveling weakling like yourself? Mark me. You do not speak for me. You carry out my will, you do my bidding, but you do _not _speak for me. Is that understood?" Remy began to whimper; nodding his head as much as his current situation would allow. The king then released him, allowing him to litter the floor like the useless trash that he was. "Get up! And do not speak again until I allow you to. Now, to deal with my daughter." Turning back towards the east wing, he resumed his clamorous stride as his attendant scurried to drag himself off the floor and scuttle after him.

Meanwhile, princess Konoka continued to care for the injured girl she'd rescued earlier that day. Mopping Setsuna's fevered brow, Konoka gazed at the beautiful girl lying in front of her, curiosity burning in her eyes.

_Setsuna... _Her name repeated itself over and over within the princess's mind. For some reason, it felt vitally important to learn all about this girl. But for the life of her, Konoka couldn't figure out why. In the background, Tsubasa was blathering on about how incredible it was that Setsuna even existed when he was interrupted by the sound of the doorknob rattling. Soon after that, a loud set of insistent knocks followed.

"Konoka! Open this door right now!" Konoka bolted to her feet, a slight look of panic showed on her face before she walked over to the door. She glanced around the room before answering, voicelessly telling everyone to keep silent. Slowly, she unlocked the door, opening it just enough to get a full view of her father's angry, red face.

"Oh, hello Daddy! What can I do for you?" She asked innocently, throwing him the most disarming smile she could muster. The king's face remained unchanged as he moved in an attempt to barge through her. Konoka held fast, refusing to budge an inch, or open the door further. Eishun gripped the blade at his side, but still she ignored the threat. "Sorry, Daddy, but I can't let you in unless you promise not to harm anyone, or any 'thing' as your definition may be, except Remy. Now, can you do that for me?" Remy glared at her as she said this, but the king simply smiled.

"I suppose I can keep my temper sated with this fool as a distraction," His hand removed itself from his blade. "For now. But I will not allow you to keep bringing pets home. You know you can't keep them." Konoka frowned as he said this, but relinquished the doorway to him. Placing herself between the king and the bed, she bid him enter. Everyone else in the room except Evangeline bowed low in the customary greeting between king and servants. The mage merely nodded briefly before fading slowly away with one last glance at the sleeping girl.

"Greetings, your majesty." The monotonous salutation given by Tsubasa and Shizuna barely registered to him as he looked upon the figure in the bed.

"So, this is your new pet project?" Eishun spat the last two words out with obvious contempt. Konoka tensed in agitation. The king took a more detailed look and gasped in disgust as he saw the two appendages protruding from the girl's back. "A bird hanyou? Ah, that explains the presence of Tsubasa," He commented, in an attempt not to show his growing rage. "So, what clan is it from?" He asked as casually as he could, though his mind was burning with curiosity. Tsubasa inwardly panicked, frantically thinking of a believable story.

"She is derived from the hawk tribe, my lord. They are known to be quite promiscuous with humans, or so I've heard. Hanyou's like her are quite common." Tsubasa explained as coolly as he could. Konoka and Shizuna gave him a quick, questioning glance, then reverted back to their relatively emotionless gazes. Eishun relaxed, believing the story easily enough. He turned to regard Konoka sternly.

"Get rid of it." He said bluntly. Konoka took on a stubborn posture, arms folded, and mouth set in a determined frown.

"No." she stated simply. The king opened his mouth to argue, but she quickly cut him off. "She's badly injured and wouldn't survive long on her own. She's not leaving until she's well again, and that's final." Eishun sighed angrily, but knew his daughter well enough to realize he wouldn't win this fight.

"Very well," he grudgingly accepted. "It can stay until it has healed enough to walk, then it must go, understood?" He asked/ordered. Konoka smiled sweetly at him.

"Of course, Daddy. She'll be gone as soon as she can move enough to fend for herself. I promise." The king took her at her word, not noticing that her fingers were firmly crossed behind her back. Remy, however, saw it quite clearly.

"Your highness, she-OOF!" Remy fell back harshly; Eishun having punched him square in the jaw.

"I told you not to speak unless I bid you to. Now, get off the floor. We're leaving." The king turned back to his daughter. "Konoka, remember, as soon as it is able." The princess nodded. Turning sharply, the king strode out the doorway, a cowering Remy close on his heels, clutching a hand to his rapidly swelling face. As soon as the door closed and all sounds of footsteps had receded into the distance, the two women turned to face Tsubasa, their expressions asking for an explanation. The little man sighed.

"I see you do not understand why I lied. You see, for some unknown reason the king hates crows more than any other demon. He has come to me often enough, asking for information on their whereabouts, and any weaknesses they have. I think, eventually he means to send his army to attack them, but again, I don't have the faintest idea why he holds so much animosity towards them. Anyway, if I had told him the truth, Setsuna would be very much dead right now." Konoka and Shizuna nodded.

"You didn't tell him about any crow weaknesses, did you?" Konoka asked accusingly. The princess bared down on him menacingly. The little man gulped audibly, but suddenly unable to speak he instead shook his head vigorously. "Good. Now, I would like you to go back to the study you have in the aviary and dig up any and all books related to crow demons. I want to know all about her." Tsubasa nodded, excusing himself before swiftly exiting the room. Shizuna then glanced at Konoka, eyebrow quirked with a silent question. "What?" Konoka asked obliviously.

"Why the sudden interest in this girl? She's hardly said two sentences to you," Shizuna paused, mulling over Konoka's behavior. Suddenly, a light clicked on in her head. "You like her, don't you?" She smiled smugly. Rarely did she get the chance to tease her princess, and now she just couldn't resist. Konoka stiffened a little, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

"I do not! This is just like any other time. I am purely interested in the characteristics of her heritage." She spoke matter-of-factly, desperately trying to convince not only Shizuna, but secretly herself. Again, her eyes slowly moved from the amused Shizuna to gaze upon the face of the sleep spelled girl. She noticed her beautifully angular face; her perfectly curved eyebrows; hair that, although still covered in dirt, was bound to be a shiny ebony black. Sighing inwardly, Konoka completely forgot all else in the room, and sat by Setsuna's side.

_Let's face it Konoka,_ she thought to herself. _You are head-over-heels in love with a girl you just barely met. It's as simple as that._

* * *

So, what'd you think? I know the story's starting out slow, but I really want you guys to be able to picture the scenes in your minds. I do realize that I spell hanyo two different ways, but I'm pretty sure they are both acceptable. Let me know if I'm wrong. I must say, writing about evil is fun. I never did like Eishun; way too stuffy in both the manga and anime. But he is fun to write about when he's the antagonist. Oh, and that whole, 'His will. The king's will,' is sort of taken from Disney's _Alice in Wonderland. _You know, where the queen yells, 'All ways, are my ways!' This is also a movie with rights I don't own. And what's this? Surprise, surprise that Konoka has fallen in love. It's one cliché theme I never get tired of. Next chapter will be a few weeks later, when Setsuna is mostly recovered. No physical action yet, but there will be all kinds of tension in the air. I implore you yet again to review. With that said…Peace out, readers!


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: What's happenin' my readers?! The scribe is back and ready to get down to business. No real updates in my life. Just training for my new position, and I finished three months of official work at the company, so I've got three paid vacation days at my disposal. Not much for the whole year, but I'm thinking of just letting it carry over into next year, so that I can have eleven days instead of eight. I turned 25 last Friday, yay! Oh, and I just realized something horrible; I don't own Negima?! (Of course) but I _do_ own Remy. How awful a feeling is that? Although I do get to torture him to my heart's content, so long as it fits in the story, so I guess that evens the good and bad out. Anyway, this chapter, it's time to meet, but not necessarily greet. Warnings for this chapter are swearing, and suggestive behavior. There is a warning of angst in here, but you knew that was coming eventually, so those of you who don't like it, suck it up! Now that that unpleasant phrase has been said I can get on to begging. PLEASE REVIEW! Think of them as power ups in a video game. The more I get, the more the chances of longer chapters increase. Thanks to Kailor Aurelius once again. And with that…

Let us begin…

Chapter 4

Setsuna sighed as she slowly rotated her shoulders; the tension in her muscles causing her to move stiffly, and a bit sluggishly. She had lain in that bed for three weeks. First unable to move from the shriek-inducing pain she felt after coming out of the person-she-now-knew-to-be-Evangeline's spell. Then, by a very stubborn, and mother-hen-ish princess that wouldn't leave her alone for more than a few minutes! It was enough to drive a girl insane.

_Besides,_ she thought, _her 'I care for the world and everything in it' act doesn't fool me. What I can't figure out is what that human's angle is. What does she gain from preventing me the bliss that is my death?_ She silently brooded on these questions, when the object of her thoughts walked into her room.

"Good morning, Setsuna. How are you feeling?" She asked seriously, though Setsuna's mind twisted her tone into sounding fake. The girl glared at Konoka, who sighed in disappointment.

_She still doesn't trust me. I guess I can't blame her, with the way humans treated her in the past. But I won't give up! She's the type that could escape even with her injuries, but she stayed. Maybe when I explain the situation to her, she'll understand. I guess it's now, or never._

"Setsuna," she spoke seriously, enough to catch the half-demon's attention. "I've decided I should explain the current situation you are in. You see, my father doesn't like demons. In fact, he hates them with a passion that I just don't understand. Whenever his soldiers capture one on our lands, he has them brought to the castle to be tortured mercilessly. But if he catches a hanyou, he kills them outright." Setsuna tensed at this, wincing as her back protested. Her wings, which she had hidden since the splint was taken off, twitched in anticipation of the need for a hasty exit. Konoka noticed her reaction and quickly attempted to dispel her uneasiness. "Don't worry, though. He won't lay a finger on you as long as you are under my care. But, if you go outside at all, you're fair game." Setsuna began to like this even less.

_Just great! Now I'm a prisoner again. 'Under her care?' It sounds to me like I never gained freedom, just switched owners. Well, I won't bend to her will. I may be stuck here for the time being, but no __**human**__ will ever control me again!_ Setsuna's glare increased exponentially, to the point where Konoka began to feel a little fear. Her explanation had been horrible thus far, and she still needed to lay out Setsuna's extremely limited options. She just decided to grit her teeth and bear it.

"So here are your options. First, you can leave. But you know full well my father will chase you. I've seen it before. You see, I've rescued people like you from similar situations, and those who left were inevitably caught and killed. But, if you choose to stay there are others like yourself who would gladly welcome you. And I would as well. All of them are half-demons too, if that helps ease your unhappiness."

"It doesn't." Setsuna snapped. "I need time to think. I would ask that you leave now." Konoka was not very surprised by the rude request/order, having heard it before. Instead of protesting, she simply got up and left, closing the door gently behind her.

* * *

Now truly alone, Setsuna stared out a nearby window into the clear, blue sky. It seemed to be mocking her. There was freedom, right in front of her. But it was a lie. Now the outside world was nothing but another prison; a life on the run with no possible hope of escape. Angrily, she gazed at the distant horizon. The human said she had a choice, but was it really?

_Chh! I either die out there, at the end of a sword, or die in here, a slave to the princess's whims. Who does she think she's fooling with that goody-goody act? And that part about being with people just like me? How does she know what I'm like? Besides that, I'm not a person, I'm a __**thing.**__ An abomination that shouldn't exist in this world, but yet here I am. I should just leave, and allow the king's dogs to hunt me down, or the others, but I'm too much of a coward to do it. I'm so weak. _Setsuna forced her gaze from the window, hating the reflection the glass presented. _Well, I guess I have no choice then. I'm stuck here._ With that last thought, Setsuna spent the rest of the morning in silence, hating herself for allowing another human to force her under their will.

* * *

Later on, around noon, there was a quiet knock on her door. It opened with a slight creak, and Konoka popped her head inside. When the other girl showed no reaction, the princess hesitantly stepped inside.

"So, have you made your decision?" She asked as neutrally as possible, though inside her mind she was begging the girl to stay. Setsuna looked at her and nodded slightly. Konoka waited anxiously.

"I cannot bring myself to end my life, so I shall spend the rest of it here." Konoka smiled happily. "But let me make one thing perfectly clear." The smile vanished. "I am not anyone's servant. I may be forced to stay here, but no one will ever own me again. Are we clear?" She demanded. Konoka looked at her sadly. The girl just didn't understand. Or refused to.

"Please, let me make something perfectly clear," the princess echoed. "No one who lives under my care is ever expected to serve me, willingly or unwillingly. They are free to do as they please, as long as they stay away from my father. Unfortunately that is the one rule they must follow. Do you understand?" Konoka stared at her seriously. The hanyou knew she had no choice, so she nodded her head sharply. Konoka's smile reappeared. "Great! Now then, how would you like to meet your new roommates?" Konoka walked forward to grab Setsuna's hand, when a sudden stench invaded her nostrils. She scrunched her nose as Setsuna looked at her, confused. She studied the princess's face closely, before noticing the sniffing action she was performing. It occurred to her then that she had not had a bath since long before Konoka ever found her. Now that she noticed it, she could feel the layers of filth that covered her body. Back at the farm, she had been used to the feeling of grimy earth clinging to her skin. But now that she was away from all that, she felt her filth-covered form and shuddered in slight revulsion.

"I guess a bath is in order," She said in almost what Konoka thought was a joking tone. She knew she must have imagined it.

"Yes. I suppose that will be our first stop on the tour. Well, come on. Let's go." Konoka grabbed her hand, ignoring the flinch the girl made whenever someone made contact with her body. _That'll disappear in time. It always does._ Konoka reasoned, before leading Setsuna in a somewhat strange direction. The closet. Setsuna glanced at her in curiosity. "Oh, I guess I should explain."

"Yeah, that would help." Setsuna stated sarcastically.

"Well, I knew I couldn't hide people in my rooms. The house servants would easily catch them. And they fear my father so much, they wouldn't hesitate to hand someone over to him in hopes of him sparing their life. So, I had Evangeline create a pocket dimension. Do you know what that is?" Setsuna shook her head, disliking the fact that she was virtually clueless when it came to most magic. "A pocket dimension is like a world within a world. The only way to get into this world, is with the key." Konoka opened the door of the closet and gestured for Setsuna to step inside. She reluctantly did so, and the princess entered as well, closing the door behind them. To Setsuna, it looked like any other closet. There was barely any room to stand, and several shelves lined the wall directly in front of the pair. Konoka wetted her lips and spoke in an extremely clear voice, _"Ostium Patefacio!"_ Suddenly a slit of light split the air in front of them. Setsuna jumped back in surprise, banging her head on the wooden door behind her. She rubbed at the slight bump forming as she stared in awe as the slit widened into the rectangular shape of a door. She couldn't see what was on the other side, but Konoka didn't seem to be afraid, as she stepped confidently through. Setsuna hesitated, then steeled herself. She strode forward swiftly, closing her eyes in fear as she stepped through the vortex. To her surprise, nothing happened. After taking enough steps that she was certain she was through, she opened one eye to be met with a giggling Konoka. Setsuna frowned at the girl for laughing at her, and the princess quickly remembered her manners and stopped. "Sorry, but you were just so…cute." Setsuna felt an unexpected blush forming on her cheeks, and looked away, frowning once more.

_That was weird. I've never felt like that before. It felt…warm._ Setsuna became lost in thought, snapping out of it only when Konoka cleared her throat.

"Are you ok?" She asked. Setsuna nodded, not trusting her voice for some unknown reason. The princess shrugged and moved aside so that the girl could see where she was. Honestly, there wasn't much to see. A narrow hallway stretched on a ways, before ending abruptly in a wall that divided two rooms. There were several other doors that lined the hall, all shut. Konoka began to walk down the straightforward path, leading Setsuna to the fifth door on the right. "This is the bath." Konoka opened the door wide, Setsuna stepping through it. As she gazed around, her jaw dropped open in wonder. The door hadn't opened into a room, but instead there was a calf-deep pool supplied by a waterfall that emptied out into a stream that disappeared into the literal forest that surrounded it. And there was no ceiling, at least not that Setsuna could see. Instead, steam rose up from the waterfall, obscuring any view that might be seen.

"What in the Hell?" Setsuna cursed absentmindedly. Konoka giggled at the half-demon's statement before moving to stand beside her.

"This is the bath house. You chose a good scene, by the way." Setsuna gave her yet another confused look. "As I said, this whole dimension was created by Evangeline, and certain rooms have spells on them. For instance, the first person to walk into this room has their image of a perfect place to bathe made a reality. For whatever reason, your mind came up with this image for what you perceive as the ideal bath house. When I enter, it becomes an elegant pool with beautiful ceramic tiles, and a few plants and lounge chairs surrounding it. For you, it's this waterfall. How'd you come up with this anyway?"

"I managed to convince a master swordsman to train me. He lived far away from any village, and this is similar to where we would bathe after a long training session. Oh, man! My sword! I can't believe I forgot to grab it before we left." Setsuna slapped herself on the forehead. Konoka laughed at her antics, happy that the girl seemed to be loosening up. Setsuna realized how she was acting and wondered how she could be so carefree in her captivity. That brought her mood down, and she frowned, staring at the ground. Konoka placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, only for the girl to step away.

"Don't worry about your sword. I'll get it for you while you bathe. Take as long as you like." Konoka stepped back towards the door, before she remembered something else. "Oh, and I'll have a towel and clothes waiting outside the door for you too." She turned to leave, smiling slightly when she heard a soft, "Thank you," from behind.

As soon as the door was closed, Setsuna warily looked around her. She knew it was probably silly, but she couldn't help the feeling that someone might be watching. And that's the last thing she wanted. After making her way around the small clearing, she found no evidence of any potential peepers, and walked to the side of the pool. Stripping herself of the night shirt and pants she'd been dressed in, she stepped into the pool, and under the cool showering water of the falls. Leaning against the rock face hidden behind the rushing waters, she focused on the feeling of the steam cascading down her back, soothing the tight muscles. After several minutes, she realized she had no soap, and was about to just start rubbing her hands on her arms, when she looked to her left and saw a small dish with a washcloth next to it. She was fairly certain it hadn't been there before, but then again, this _was_ a magic room. Stepping over to the dish, she found it contained white, clay-like soap that smelled faintly of lavender. Scooping some up on the washcloth, she gently began to wash her body, revealing beautiful, porcelain-white skin underneath at least a year's worth of dirt. It felt so good, until she revealed the first of many scars, whiter still than her skin. Feeling suddenly disgusted, she quickly washed the rest of her body, before scooping up more of the soap into her hands and working it into her hair. She had to wash it a few times, but it soon shined with a silky, black luster. That brightened her mood a little, but then she remembered her wings. She hated looking at them, but they needed to be groomed, so she reluctantly concentrated on her back, and the muddy brown appendages stiffly unfurled from between her shoulder blades.

_This is really gonna suck,_ she thought. _But it has to be done. _Imagining a bigger dish with more soap, Setsuna watched in fascination as the small dish warped until it fit her needs. Sighing in resignation, she scooped up more soap and got to work, preening herself. Cleansing the dried mud-stiffened feathers, pulling out broken ones that would soon be replaced, she winced as she watched small drops of blood mix with the clear water. It took a good half hour for each wing, but after much toil they were finally clean. She had lost many feathers during the process, making the wings appear fairly bald. Tucking them back inside, she stood under the spray for a bit longer, before deciding it was time to leave. Walking reluctantly over to the door, she opened it slowly. Glancing down, she discovered that Konoka had kept her promise of a towel and change of clothes. A tight, black tunic, with a white undershirt, and matching black trousers awaited her, along with underwear and there were even wrappings to bind her breasts with.

"Yeah, that Konoka thinks of everything." A sudden voice came from the left of the doorway. Setsuna snapped her head towards the sound, unsheathing her sword that had been left beside the clothes. Leaning against the wall was a tall, tan skinned girl, with light brown hair cut short for the most part, except a thin, but long pony tail trailing down to her mid-calf. She wore the traditional outfit of a ninja. Setsuna recognized it from a distant region of Mundus Magicus she had once traveled to. Eyes narrowed into slits stared appreciatively up and down Setsuna's still uncovered body. A wolf-whistle came from the tall girl's mouth. "My, my. Konoka told me you were attractive, but her description doesn't do you justice." The unfamiliar blush coming back to her face, Setsuna swiftly set her sword aside and picked up the towel, wrapping it tightly around her.

"Who are you?" Setsuna snapped rudely, regaining her grip on her blade. The tall girl ignored the threatening stance, moving from her place on the wall and casually walking up to the irritated crow. She placed her hands on her hips and stuck out her rather voluptuous chest.

"My name is Nagase Kaede. It's very nice to meet you Setsuna-dono." When the other girl didn't respond, Kaede sighed. "You don't need the weapon, I'm harmless to you. The only ones who need to worry are those who threaten Konoka. So," the ninja swept her fingers gently under Setsuna's chin. "Aren't you going to introduce yourself properly to me?" Setsuna jerked backward, stepping back through the doorway into the waterfall room. Kaede sauntered after like a cat teasing its prey. Backing Setsuna into a tree at the edge of the clearing, she quickly placed one hand on each side of the girl's head, pinning her in place. Kaede leaned forward, breathing lightly on the skin of Setsuna's neck before moving her lips to graze her ear. "Well? Say something." Setsuna's heart was pounding like mad against her chest and she breathed heavily.

_Click!_ A sudden noise was heard from behind. "Kaede, back off." At this, Kaede smiled knowingly at Setsuna, breathing on her ear and making her shiver before the ninja stepped back, allowing the shorter girl to see the owner of the mysterious voice. Another girl, slightly taller and also tan with long black hair and piercing brown eyes stood a few yards away, aiming what appeared to be a pistol at the ruffled swordswoman. Turning her eyes from Kaede, they gave a fierce glare to Setsuna, the gun never wavering from its path. A cold, deep sounding voice penetrated the air. "Are you making a pass at my girlfriend?"

"No!" Setsuna said forcefully, earning another glare from the unknown girl.

"What, is she not good enough for you?" The girl advanced. Setsuna began to panic, before sending a return glare. She'd had enough of being bullied. Swinging her sword into a defensive stance, she also moved forward.

"Shoot, and it'll be the last thing you do in this world." Setsuna threatened, her confidence gaining momentum. The two girls began to circle each other, studying their opponent for any signs of weakness. The girl scoffed at Setsuna's warning.

"You think that little toothpick can block a shot from my gun? This is not your ordinary run-of-the-mill six gun."

"I'm well aware of that. It's an energy gun, which are possessed only by those of the wolf-demon tribe. It uses the holder's energy as ammunition. Very impressive, but against me it's utterly useless." The girl smirked at Setsuna's arrogance.

"Oh yeah? Well, why don't we just test your little theory." Before Kaede could intervene a shot rang out. _Ping!_ The energy bullet was redirected back towards its owner, who swiftly sidestepped.

"Holy shit!" Sounded from beyond the doorway. "Mana, what the fuck's your deal?! You coulda killed me!" A third girl stomped through the door. This one was of average height; though she still beat Setsuna; with long, red hair tied into twin tails by little strings with bells attached to them. Her bi-colored green and blue eyes glared accusingly at the gunslinger, now revealed to be Mana. Mana just stared at her blankly.

"Well, you're alive. And it wasn't me," Mana pointed at Setsuna. "It was her. She deflected the shot towards you."

"Yeah, well you still fired it! You're not off the hook yet, Tatsumiya." The girl then turned her angry gaze onto a slightly bewildered Setsuna. "You better explain yourself shorty, and fast!" Setsuna just stared at her, her silence only serving to anger the girl even more. She stormed up to the crow, grabbing her by the towel and lifting her easily off the ground. "Well, are you deaf? SPEAK!" She shook the smaller girl violently. Setsuna grabbed the arm she was dangling from, squeezing it harshly. The girl gasped in pain, dropping her. Setsuna got to her feet, backing away from the others and bringing her sword out in front of her. She was confused and angry at the strange and rough treatment she was receiving from the rapidly multiplying girls.

_Just how many people live here?_ A dog-like growl leapt suddenly from the redhead's mouth. She reached behind her back, and from what seemed like thin air produced an immense two-handed sword. She swung it threateningly before settling it into a defensive stance. Pointed dog ears emerged from the girl's head and a short, stubby tail came out of her lower back.

"So, you wanna fight? Well bring it on shrimp-girl!" She all but barked, before she charged forward. Setsuna prepared to meet her, when-

"STOP!" A shrill shout sounded from the doorway. "Asuna, you don't really want to kill our newest member, do you?" The redhead froze in her tracks, before straightening from her stance and placing her weapon back into nothingness. She glanced back at Setsuna, before making a dismissing sound and turning away in disgust. Setsuna, however, kept her sword steady, awaiting any surprises the other girls might have for her. Konoka stepped into the room and made her way towards the swordsgirl. With two fingers she gently moved the blade until Setsuna let it drop reluctantly to her side. "Setsuna, are you ok?" She looked into her eyes and concern soon etched into her gaze as she noticed the girl was shaking.

_All the commotion must have got to her. She looks exhausted._

"So, someone mind explaining how Setsuna ended up on the wrong end of Asuna's sword?" Konoka's hands were on her hips like a mother who's scolding her children.

"Dog girl here, attacked me for no reason!" Setsuna stated. Asuna gaped at her.

"No reason?! You shot at me!" Asuna pointed an accusing finger at her.

"I didn't do it on purpose!" Setsuna countered. Then, in a mumbled voice, "If I had, I wouldn't have missed." Asuna overheard, despite Setsuna's lowered voice, her dog ears twitching in irritation.

"What was that?!" Asuna made to move towards the smaller girl when Konoka held a hand up to stop her.

"Down, Asuna. Please, continue Setsuna." Setsuna smirked at the way Konoka had handled Asuna just as an owner would a disobedient dog. Asuna growled at the gesture.

"As I was saying, I didn't do it on purpose. First, the slit-eyed kitsune tries to rape me, then wolfie here freaks out and shoots at me! I was merely defending myself by deflecting the shot. Sparky just happened to be standing in the wrong spot. I didn't even see her until she entered the bathroom. Which reminds me, can I please get dressed!" All four girls blinked at this, before examining Setsuna and finding her only in a towel. Kaede waggled her eyebrows and released another whistle, causing Setsuna to turn red; and Mana to see red. Her pistol was quickly back to where it had been before this whole incident started, aimed right at Setsuna's head. But this time, Kaede stepped in front, lowering the barrel and gazing seriously at the angry alpha.

"Don't worry Mana. You're the only one for me." Mana accepted the apology/promise, slipping a protective arm around Kaede's waist. "Oh yeah, Setsuna-dono?" The crow glanced warily in her direction. "How did you know I was a fox hanyou?"

"That's simple. All fox-demons have those squinty eyes of yours. The clothes you wear are from the ninja tribes of the fox, and you speak fox-demon dialect, isn't that correct, Kaede-_dono?"_ Kaede smiled at her.

"Wow, you've got some keen observation skills there, cute little birdie-dono." Setsuna growled at the annoying nickname. "What? You've given all of us nicknames, it's only proper that we do the same." Setsuna ignored her and turned her tired gaze on Konoka.

"Can you please just show me to my room? I'd like to get dressed before I meet anymore of your menagerie."

"Of course. Right this way. Asuna?" The redhead looked towards the princess grudgingly. "You may want to avoid anyplace Setsuna will be for the next few hours until you cool off a little. I mean, your ears are still showing." Asuna glanced up at the red points, before nodding her head and exiting the room. Konoka waited until she could no longer hear Asuna's trudging footsteps, then she proceeded to lead Setsuna out of the room. Mana followed behind, before glancing back. Kaede hadn't moved. She seemed to be staring at something floating inside the waterfall's pool.

"Kaede, what is it?" Mana started to move forward, when a hand was held up to stop her.

"It's nothing. I'll be along in a minute." Mana nodded, before leaving the fox to herself. As soon as she knew she was alone, Kaede reached down into the pool, plucking an object that had been floating on the surface. Holding it up to some unseen light, it appeared to be a feather. Streaks of red marred its length, but it could never diminish the beautiful, pure white of the feather's true color. "Hmm…I see you still have a few secrets, Setsuna-dono. Not to worry. Your secret's safe with me." Tucking the feather in a pocket hidden in her shirt, Kaede walked out the door and shut it tight, effectively erasing the waterfall and anything that remained floating within its sanctuary.

The princess stopped at the very end of the hall and turned to the door on the left.

"This is your room. It and the training room are the only other places that change due to images from the occupant's mind, so you'll need to step in first. This room is different though. Instead of it changing every time someone enters, it is designed to change only for the first person that enters the first time. So, if you enter and then leave and someone else comes in, the room will remain as it was when you came in. Go ahead and try it." Setsuna moved forward and grasped the handle. She turned it and pushed lightly in, walking with the door as it opened. Konoka followed after, and gasped.

"Oh, well this is…nice." She said awkwardly. To say Setsuna's choice of room was spectacular…would be a serious overstatement. A small, plain white bed with average pillows was against one of four wood paneled walls on a bland wood floor. No windows, or pictures adorned the wall. The only other furnishings inside the uber-Spartan apartment were a small wooden table with a single drawer and a two sectioned dresser made of; what a surprise; wood. Setsuna tossed a small glare at the princess's obvious disdain.

"What'd you expect, a nest?" she snapped. Not waiting for an answer, Setsuna walked over to the bed and set her clothes on it. She looked back at the door expectantly. Konoka just stared. "Um…do you mind closing the door?" Setsuna asked rudely. Konoka started.

"Oh, sure. I'll just wait outside. Once you're ready we can go into the main living area and introduce you to the rest of the girls."

"All the hanyous here are female?" Setsuna questioned, causing Konoka to giggle.

"There are no boy hanyous. All of them are born female. I thought everyone knew that." Setsuna frowned again and Konoka realized how she'd sounded. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. Just come on out when you're ready." With that, Konoka closed the door. Left to herself, Setsuna dropped her towel and grabbed her clothes, slipping her underwear on first. She began to put the wrappings on next, noting her scars once again. Closing her eyes; she finished dressing quickly. Looking unhappily at the door, she remained where she was. She'd met so many people already, and all of them had caused her trouble, in one way or the other. Not only does she have to deal with a fake-nice princess with extremely well-hidden ulterior motives, but there's also a crazy jealous gunman, a molesting kitsune, and a dog whose bite could be just as bad as her annoying bark. She shuddered to think who else could be lurking around this strange place.

_Well, better to get it over with. _She thought dismally. Then as an afterthought, _People like that Asuna I'm used to but please- to anyone who may be listening- please God no more frenzied foxes. _In that spirit, she set forth. Konoka was waiting patiently outside.

"Oh good, you're ready. Let's be off then!" Konoka turned and skipped happily down the hall. Setsuna followed at a more sedate pace, clutching her sword nervously. She never knew when another attack might take place. They approached the very first door from the entrance that was stationed on the right hand side. "This is the common room. It's where most of the girls hang out during the day." Unlike the other rooms, Konoka went inside this one first, peering almost cautiously around before actually stepping within. Setsuna's grip on her sword tightened as she followed. The room was quite large. A kitchen was off to the left behind a counter. Even from a distance, it was obviously elaborate and well stocked. You could tell that just from judging its size. Directly ahead of and a few feet from the door were a few well-used couches arranged in a square formation and surrounding a fair-sized low set table. Books adorned several shelves along the back walls, and a soft plush blue carpeting covered the floor. Another, regular sized table sat in an alcove at the end of the kitchen wall to serve as a dining table.

None of that, however, particularly interested the crow. The only thing that caught her attention was that one of the couches in the room was currently occupied. All she saw of the person was a long curtain of golden blond hair trailing down the back of the elongated black chair. The person, whoever it was, had apparently not noticed their entrance. Noticing the girl's oblivious nature, Konoka got a mischievous look on her face. Putting a finger to her lips to keep Setsuna silent, she bent her body low and moved stealthily to the back of the couch. Taking a deep, quiet breath, she cupped her hands to her mouth.

"HELP! ASUNA GOT HER HAIR STUCK IN THE VORTEX!" The blond violently jumped to her feet, letting out a startled, big cat-like screech of surprise. Round black ears and a long tail suddenly appeared.

"Not again! Hang on Asuna, your lo-I mean loyal friend is coming for you, darling!" She spoke in a loud, pompous voice, turning around to run to the redhead's aid. Seeing this, Konoka jumped up from her hiding place, causing the blond to jump back in surprise.

"Got you!" Konoka teased, sticking her tongue out at her.

"Grr! Konoka!" The girl growled in frustration, before noticing the other person in the room. Giving up on being angry, she addressed Setsuna. "Oh, you must be the new girl." Konoka smiled at the blond and gestured toward Setsuna.

"Yes. Setsuna, I'd like you to meet…" prompted Konoka.

"Yukihiro Ayaka. Charmed, I'm sure." Ayaka extended her hand, but was ignored. Becoming slightly irritated, but still determined to greet this girl politely Ayaka continued. "So, do you have a family name?" Setsuna stared at her.

"Yes." She answered. Ayaka waited expectantly, but Setsuna gave no further information.

"Are you going to tell me what it is?" Ayaka began to get impatient.

"No." Ayaka growled at this.

"And why not?" Setsuna gave a humorless smirk then.

"Let me put it this way. In order to make my stay as…tolerable as possible, it's best to avoid that particular subject." Ayaka rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. So, have you met Asuna yet?" Setsuna clenched her jaw at the question. "From your reaction I'd say that's a 'yes'. What did you do to piss her off?" Konoka decided to step in.

"Mana took a shot at Setsuna, Setsuna deflected it, and Asuna was standing in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Misplaced anger, huh? That definitely sounds like Asuna." Ayaka had a slightly starry-eyed look whenever she said the dog hanyou's name. She quickly recovered though, and addressed Setsuna once again. "Have you met any of the other girls yet?"

"That's what we came here to do." Konoka answered. "I thought we could call a meeting and have everyone introduce themselves to her and say a little about everyone. That way we can all make fast friends." At that moment, Setsuna felt arms snaking themselves around her waist, and hot breath on the back of her neck.

"Yes, and wouldn't it be great if we could all be _close_ friends." A pair of lips ghosted over Setsuna's suddenly red skin. She stiffened, then began to struggle against the arms that held her prisoner. Kaede refused to budge. Jealousy burned brightly in the princess's eyes and she barged over, gripping the ninja by her arm and with a sudden strength, twirling her off the stricken crow. Kaede was caught quite off-guard and spun out of control right into the waiting arms of Mana, who had observed the whole thing.

"Konoka, keep your hands to yourself." Mana looked down at the fox. "And that goes for you too." Her icy gaze then travelled to Setsuna. "And crow," she showed her gun threateningly. "Stay away from my girl." With that said, Mana moved both herself and Kaede onto one of the couches. Ayaka took a seat also, while Konoka walked into the kitchen, returning moments later with a small wand with a star on the end. She showed it to Setsuna.

"This is a communication wand. All you have to do is think of the people you want to talk to, say the word 'voco' and then speak into the star. Your message will be heard telepathically by the people you thought of. It can even go through the pocket dimension and speak to anyone in the normal world. Neat, huh?" Konoka took on a look of concentration, then spoke clearly into the star. "Will you please come to the living area?" After a few moments, several affirmations were heard back through the wand. A little while after that several people came bustling in, taking seats on the available couches. Konoka and Setsuna remained standing as the princess addressed the group. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Setsuna. She's a crow hanyou and our newest addition. Everyone be sure to treat her nice. Now, would you all introduce yourselves?" A redhead with her hair up in a ponytail and a pen and paper in hand immediately stood up.

"Hi there! My name is Asakura Kazumi. Feel free to call me one name or the other. I am the official history keeper of our little group. It's my job to learn about everyone who lives here. I'll find you later and we can do our first interview. Oh, and I'm a cat hanyou." She sat down and a girl with purple hair that hung over her face stood up.

"I'm Miyazaki Nodoka, it's very nice to meet you. I'm the librarian and second researcher here. I'm a koala hanyou and a mind reader." Setsuna frowned at this. "No, it's okay. I promise I won't read your mind if you don't want me to." The crow didn't look convinced, so Nodoka just sighed and sat down. Another took her place. Much to Setsuna's delight, this girl was quite a bit shorter than her. She had long, blue hair sectioned into two bunches in the back that were tied on the end, and two shorter sections that were braided in the front.

"I'm Ayase Yue, head of magical research and I'm an owl hanyou." Yue sat back down. A tall, green-haired girl with glasses jumped up, beaming a devious looking thousand-watt smile at the crow.

"What's up? I am Saotome Haruna, third researcher, brilliant artist, and gossip queen. Anything you want to know about anyone can be heard through me. And don't bother trying to catch me in the act. I am a rabbit hanyou, and much too fast to chase down." Konoka leaned close to Setsuna as Haruna sat back down.

"Make sure you close your door completely, and if there's anything you don't want people to know about; don't say it out loud." She whispered, Setsuna nodding in response. Out loud she said, "Ayaka, Mana, and Kaede you already know, so next there's…" Everyone turned to stare at a light brown-haired girl who was tapping furiously on a very strange apparatus. Noticing the sudden silence, she glanced up, an irritated look coming upon her bespectacled face. She stood up quickly.

"Hasegawa Chisame. Information gatherer and raccoon hanyou. This," she indicated the device she was holding, "is called a computer. I got it awhile back from an alien who accidently ran over me with her spaceship as an apology gift. I can find out any information that exists in this world as long as it has already been written down." The crow eyed her skeptically.

_Okay. I have officially identified the resident loony. _

"Oh, I suppose it's my turn now." A voice came out of nowhere. Setsuna shook her head.

_Or maybe I'm the loony, because I swear I just heard…_ A white figure phased into sight to the left of Kazumi. It became the form of a girl with long white hair. She had on a cute sailor uniform. She waved at Setsuna's jaw-dropped face.

"Hello. I'm Aisaka Sayo, the resident ghost of the group. My job is to spy on any secret meetings the king might be having that the princess should know about. And I'm a mouse hanyou." Kazumi reached up and grasped Sayo's hand.

"She's also my girlfriend. I have this weird ability that allows me to communicate with spirits and contact them physically, which totally helps me out romance-wise." Kazumi tugged on Sayo' hand, causing the spirit to land in her lap. Kazumi wrapped her arms around the ghost's waist and planted a kiss on her cheek. Setsuna just stared back at all of them, attempting to process all this new information. She was brought back to herself by Konoka, who nudged her forward.

"Go on. Introduce yourself." Setsuna took a big breath, and slowly let it back out.

"My name is Setsuna. I'm a trained swordsman and a crow hanyou."

"Wow! That is sooo cool! Can we see your wings?" Haruna gushed. Setsuna's face pinched in discomfort.

"No, you can't." The green-haired girl deflated. Setsuna turned her eyes to Konoka. "All right, I've met them. Can I go back to my room? I'm tired." Everyone in the room was shocked at Setsuna's dismissive behavior. But Konoka nodded anyway.

"Sure you can. I'm sure this is all a bit overwhelming and you're still not completely healed, so you should rest. We'll be eating in a few hours. I'll have someone come and get you then." Setsuna nodded curtly at her and left the room. As she entered her bedroom and made to lay down, one thought kept going through her mind.

_How am I ever going to survive this crazy place?_

* * *

Man, what a chapter! To me it's more like two chapters, but it serves a dual purpose. You see, I've always wanted to be a beta, and one of the ways you can become a beta is to write an entry that's at least 6,000 words. So this is my ticket to proofreading heaven. All I need to do is write my beta profile and I'm set! Those who seek my grammar expertise should know that I don't read horror. I'm not a fan of the genre, so I'd rather not have to fix stories dealing with it. So, sorry to anyone who writes it, but I just don't swing that way. So, what'd you think of this chapter? I wrote it with a sort of, "Meet the girls," theme. A jealous Mana, a furious Asuna, and a _naughty_ Kaede. Bet you didn't see the last one coming. There's plenty more craziness to come and some much awaited action in the next episode of, "Hanyo Haven." And remember, if you want long chapters, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! Peace out readers!


	6. Chapter 5

Heya, my readers! Guess what? I got picked for yet another specialty job at work. This one sucks, though. I replaced my friend, who quit after receiving her final warning. She'd worked there for 15 years, and then she was just gone. My name has slowly erased hers in the recordings I make for weight checks on products. I hate it, but it's a part of life, I suppose. Relationships come and go, right? And I do mean friend, not girlfriend. *sigh* And, I have gotten an apartment! Hallelujah, praise God, or whomever and whatever you believe in! But, until I get internet set up there, you will not have the pleasure of my writing. Sorry. But getting to the point, this chapter finally has some action! Violence warning! And believe it or not, I wrote the whole action sequence while half asleep, plus another 4,000 words that I ended up deleting. I have to say, from what I remember, writing the fight scene was _hard!_ I mean, you have to make sure the fight is the right length and that each character suffers a decent amount of damage without dragging that type of writing out. For an example of what I mean you just have to look at two anime series: DBZ and Naruto. I'm sorry if you're a fan of those, but I thought they were _way_ too long, and though I did manage to get through DBZ because there was nothing else to watch but Toonami , Naruto lost me somewhere around the first Itachi/Sasuke episode. Again, sorry to the fans of those shows, but I've felt the need to complain about that for a while. Moving on, I tweaked the ending of the battle from what I had written in my sleep quite a bit, and I hope it's satisfactory to all of you. I don't own Negima?! And with just a few short comments and a question for all of you, the chapter will start.

First off, shout-out to Kailor! My inspiration.

And to Nadine Hissatomi: I hope I answered your chapter 3 question in a satisfactory manner. Thanks for all the reviews.

And last, but not least I decided not to put a poem on as an interval between chapters. The poem's very long, and would make the chapter look weird, so it needs a separate filler chapter. I am asking you now, do you want to read it, and will you review it? And of course…I NEED REVIEWS LIKE NEGIMA?! NEEDS A SPIN-OFF FOR KONOSETSU! And now…

Let us begin…

Chapter 5

Light from an illusionary sun beamed brightly into Asuna's eyes. With an annoyed groan, a hand flew up; pulling the shades. Asuna sat up and stretched, yawning loudly. The hand came again, reaching up to Asuna's ears and scratching behind them. Asuna whined in happiness; her leg thumping lightly on the floor and her tail wagging in appreciation.

"Oh, that feels _so_ good. A little to the left…ahh…" She turned to look at the owner of the hand. A smile lit both their faces. "Hey, I'm gonna go train for a bit. Wanna come?" A shake of the head was her only answer. Expecting that, Asuna leaned down and gave a quick kiss goodbye before rising from the bed and getting dressed. She swept her hand through her hair; feeling the ears that were still out. She growled quietly, but stopped quickly when she heard a disturbance from the bed.

"Just don't let her get to you and be a good puppy." The last bit was said in a teasing tone, and Asuna flashed a grin before heading out the door. The grin vanished as soon as the door shut, replaced by an irritated grimace.

_That stupid little dwarf! It's nice that Konoka saves people, but did she have to rescue _this_ hanyou? I mean what a nerve she's got, attacking me for no good reason. Well, I'll show her. I'm no mere stray that she can just kick to the side… *grumble* _Asuna stalked toward the training room, her attention completely taken up by the little crow. So taken, in fact that she failed to notice she was not the only one in the hallway.

"Why're you coming out of Ayaka-dono's room?" Kaede's voice startled the red head. Asuna mentally slapped her forehead.

_Ah, man! I can't believe I was in my head so much I forgot to hide my exit. Curse that stupid bird! Gotta think of a good excuse. Ah-ha! I got it! People always say honesty's the best policy._

"I asked Ayaka to come train with us, but she didn't want to." _But sometimes the full truth is a bad thing, so I'll just bend it a little._ Kaede cocked an eyebrow at the explanation.

"Oh? And since when does it take an hour for you to ask such a simple question?" Asuna looked at her, confused.

"An hour?" Kaede looked at her knowingly.

"Yes. That's how long I've been waiting here. So, what took you so long?" Asuna mentally began to panic. Ayaka was ready to scream their relationship for the whole pocket world to hear, but for some strange reason Asuna wasn't ready for that. It was actually pretty stupid, since it was already obvious to everyone that the two were together. Asuna wasn't as good at sneaking around as she thought she was, but was completely unaware of it.

Thinking as quickly as she could, she came up with a rare, brilliant idea. Well, it's more like a shot in the dark, but she decided to try it anyway.

"Well, why were _you_ waiting out here so long? Are Mana and Evangeline busy sparring in the training room?" Conversation redirect, gotta love it!

"Mana is right here." The stoic gunslinger replied, stepping out from her and Kaede's shared room.

"I'm here too," Came the seething voice of the diminutive dark mage. "And I'm quite pissed off at the moment."

"Why? The dungeon run out of necks to bite?" Asuna teased. It was a well-known fact that the little blond girl was actually a centuries-old vampire. Evangeline rolled her eyes and fought the urge to squish the stupid girl into the wall.

"No. What I'm pissed about is the fact that the new nobody somehow managed to nullify the spells I keep on the training room door! She didn't just guess the password; she seems to have almost melted them off! I mean, how the bloody hell did she do that! My spells should keep out even the most high-powered creatures that exist, and one little girl just waltzes right into the room like they were nothing! I'm going to have to re-examine her power level, but first I'll have to 'punish' her. I just need to reset the spells. Shouldn't take more than five minutes."

"Wait a minute!" Asuna stopped before she could begin. "If she's so powerful, how come you couldn't sense it before?" Evangeline scowled at the interruption of the dumb dog. As usual, she had asked a stupid question with an obvious answer.

"Because, you imbecile, her healing powers used up almost all her energy, so I couldn't get an accurate reading."

"Ah, I see." Asuna said with a tone that sounded a bit like mockery to the vampire. Asuna smiled widely at her. "Heh-heh. The 'all-powerful' _Eva_ made a mistake."

"You dare mock Dark Evangel?" She began muttering a spell; dark, twisted tentacles of magic slithering from her fingertips. They quickly wrapped around Asuna's torso, before abruptly slamming her into the ground. Ignoring the moans of agony, she turned again to the door. More tendrils of magic swathed into the very wood of the door, slowly forming into the intricate symbols of a long dead language.

Meanwhile, Mana and Asuna, who had recovered fairly quickly, spoke quietly to each other; Asuna now and then grinning wickedly. If Evangeline said she was going to 'punish' her it was sure to mean a lot of bloodshed, and the girls wanted in on the action. Both were desperate to get some revenge. Kaede paid them little mind; busy thinking up her own pervert-I mean version of tactics to distract Setsuna just enough to allow her girlfriend and red-headed companion a slight advantage. She did remind them to avoid potentially and certainly fatal wounds. Konoka would not tolerate that from anyone except Evangeline, whom she was powerless to evict from the palace. Mana just gave her a tiny smirk that didn't bode well for Setsuna. Kaede frowned at this and decided to ease back a bit on her strategy. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to give the two an advantage.

Finally, the seals were successfully ingrained into the door. Evangeline spoke in a clear voice, "Pro tem admittendis!" She then simply grabbed the doorknob and turned it gently. The door opened without a sound, obscuring their entrance from the lone and totally focused individual already inside.

Before observing the girl herself, Eva's eyes took in the room that created an image of the swordgirl's perfect training ground. A wide open grass field stretched into a dense forest; concealing the clearing from prying eyes, much like her version of the bath house. Wooden dummies and other marital arts equipment were placed at various stations around the expanse. Setsuna stood in the middle in what looked to be a sparring and sword exercise arena.

Setsuna was practicing extremely advanced swordplay. The intricate moves were performed effortlessly. If there was the slightest flaw the movement being performed was repeated until it was dubbed perfect. The girl's body moved masterfully, albeit a bit stiffly from her still-tensed muscles.

Needless to say, the others were surprised at her skills. How could a skinny little slave have learned the expert craftsmanship that was this moving form of art? Asuna was so excited to face a new challenge, her tail wagged wildly about; creating just enough movement to attract the crow's attention. She stopped in mid-move, sword held one-handed in a graceful arc above her head with her other hand held straight with her palm facing out. Returning to a guarded standing position, she readied herself for the confrontation that would inevitably happen.

"It seems the little slave has some impressive tricks, though not as impressive as mine. Except one," Evangeline paused for suspense; Setsuna growing anxious in anticipation. "I have lived a long life, and know most every kind of magic there is, yet I have only now discovered a new power. Your new power to melt sealing spells empowered by the strongest of magic. Now listen carefully. You bloody hell better tell me how you do that, or I promise you a life of torture that not even the precious princess can prevent!" The vampire went quickly from tauntingly calm to furious; arms fully extended downwards and shaking as her fists clenched hard enough to crush diamonds. Her teeth were being held tightly together, while her lips achieved a vicious snarl and her brow furrowed as her eyes glared with a light that appeared as a hellish red.

Despite this, Setsuna was pleased with Eva's outburst of continuous rage. She had learned from her former swords master that an angry opponent was an easily defeated opponent. Then, a wave of curiosity and confusion ran through her.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about! I have no such powers, and when I approached the door there were no seals to be seen!" The girl quickly remembered her teacher's lesson and took a calming breath, her mind replacing negative thoughts with peaceful serenity. The vampire, however, continued to burn with anger and a little jealousy.

"You little liar! There is no conceivable way you haven't realized that power. Now that I've seen you again and you're healthier, it pours from you like a raging river! How dare you continue to keep that secret all to yourself!" Evangeline adopted an offensive stance. "You shall pay for your transgression with all of your blood, as I slowly draw it out of you in the most painful of ways."

Quicker than the crow's eyes could see, Evangeline appeared behind her; brutally slamming her stiff back with a tremendous kick. Temporarily paralyzed Setsuna dropped towards the ground, but did not hit it. The other two girls intent on violence had joined the fight; ears and tails poised in attack mode. Kaede stayed back to observe Setsuna's technique in battle, and also to appreciate the beautiful body on display.

Asuna forced Setsuna to her feet, supporting her as she delivered a flurry of blows to the girl's stomach. Throwing the girl towards the floor, Setsuna's chin met with the combat style boot of the gunslinger. Flying back, she hit a piece of wood laid across two sawhorses that she practiced her various skills on. The force of her back broke the board as easily as breaking a toothpick, but the hit also brought her nerves back into action. She stood up slowly; just then feeling the pain and the blood trickling from her mouth. Glancing across the room, she spotted her sword where her body had first dropped, forcing her to grab the sheath at her side as a temporary weapon. Handling it as skillfully as the sword, she knew it was not strong enough on its own to deliver a powerful blow. Reaching deep within herself, she used another technique: chi manipulation. She grasped at the energy stored in her body, moving it down her arms, through her hands, and into the sheath itself.

All the girls noticed the chi's movement. Training with Eva had its advantages, as seeing the body's energy was one of the many skills they had learned. Asuna imbued her weapon with chi also. However, her anger prevented her from reaching Setsuna's energy level. Mana brought out two handguns of a different type that Setsuna had never seen before. There was no slightly bulging cylinder, but a thinner frame allowing for easier manipulation. Mana made no move to cock back the hammers, and the gun's handle lengthened and straightened into a slightly angled position, instead of the more curved handle of a normal revolver. Mana noticed her intense study and smirked at her.

"Oh these? I designed these weapons myself, based on various notes from hundreds of gunsmiths attempting to improve upon their craft. I take full advantage of Hasegawa's alien technology." Finishing with her arrogant little speech, she immediately aimed for Setsuna's head and chest and fired. Hoping her chi would stand up to this new menace, Setsuna braced herself for impact, but was surprised as two kunai blocked the bullets just before they hit. Mana stopped and looked at her girlfriend in surprise. Kaede stared sternly back.

"I warned you Mana. No fatal hits. Try it again, and I'll add two more knives to strike your arms. Besides, how could you ever possibly wish to harm that beautiful little body? So smooth and strong in its motions; makes me wonder how skilled she'd be at other, more enjoyable activities." Kaede raised her eyebrows suggestively at her crush. Mana's energy levels erupted in an inferno of jealousy.

"Very well," she seethed. "I will attempt to aim at her extremities then. Especially her fingers." Kaede understood the message, while Setsuna just stared in confusion. Why her fingers? Fully distracted by the other girl's confrontation, she never even noticed the storm of ice daggers descending from above. They pierced her flesh in bone-chilling pain. She cried out loudly, the other girls seeing their chance at victory and charging toward her along with Evangeline in a triangular formation.

Realizing that this was her last chance, she forced all the chi she could spare into the sturdy piece of carved wood in her hands. Solid energy seemed to grow from her weapon, forming a blade of pure white light that blinded all but its owner. Letting out a desperate yell, she swung the sword in a full 360° arc, releasing a wave of energy with the force of a hurricane. Unable to dodge completely, all three girls were thrown back by the blast, slamming into the "walls", which were actually normal walls upon which the spell projected the forest. Craters formed under and around their bodies; the energy that had forced them back shattering the scene changing spell Eva had cast. The imagined world flickered and died; forcing the room to return to its normal, white-walled, wood-floored form. The craters remained, but their creators didn't. Dropping down the walls, they hit the ground harshly. The ears and tails of the two half-demons vanished back into their respective bodies, the two clearly unconscious. Or possibly worse.

Astonishingly, the diminutive blond struggled to her feet. Unused to being injured so badly, Eva's body was slow to heal as she limped forward, her right leg dragging uselessly behind her. On the way towards her victim, the vamp summoned the strength to pick up the crow's sword; intent on delivering the final blow with it after drawing the succulent crimson liquid from the now completely exhausted girl collapsed on the floor. Most of Setsuna's chi energy had been released in the blast, but Eva knew enough remained to keep the girl alive, and the strength flowing through it would be more than enough to heal and re-energize the child-like bloodsucker.

Reaching her destination, Eva fell gracelessly by Setsuna's side, barely able to reach the defenseless girl's neck. Fangs inched towards her carotid artery, when she was forcefully grabbed by the collar of her torn-up dress and flung away from the fallen warrior.

The princess had finally arrived. Taking in the scene before her, she used magic to summon the communication wand, calling Shizuna with all possible speed. As soon as an answer was heard, she moved the wand back to the common room and approached Asuna's body. She was the most severely injured. With a nearly careless wave of her hand, Konoka sent a strong healing spell towards the girl, angry at her for what she and the other two had obviously done. Moving on, she came to Mana, her body held tightly in Kaede's arms. She was crying; something the ninja didn't usually do. It was obvious that, despite her crush on the new girl, she truly loved Mana.

Seeing Konoka, Kaede reluctantly laid Mana on the ground and stood out of the way. She hadn't been close enough to the energy wave that affected the other's ability to dodge, and so remained uninjured. Not wishing to cause the fox any more emotional pain, she cast the healing spell on Mana with pretend care, making Kaede smile in relief and gratitude.

Now for the vampire. Konoka stalked furiously towards her, wishing that she could just leave her to heal on her own as penance. But the fact remained that the dark mage would then betray her to her father, and she was not ready to deal with that. Casting a much smaller healing spell, it was barely enough to kick-start the girl's body into healing itself. Eva slowly got to her feet and glared at Konoka. She understood the princess's anger, but forcing her to endure the more painful self-healing annoyed her. But something was getting to the blond more than that. It was the dark-haired figure that continued to bleed near the center of the room.

_How did I not sense her power level? It was understandable at first, considering how weak she was, but by the time a week had passed I should've been able to sense it. Why couldn't I do it?!_ Glaring at the unmoving body, an idea slowly crawled its way inside her brain. _Hmm…I shall have to catch her alone, and unguarded. That will be tricky, then I just have to figure out how to break her. But once that's done, it will be deliciously pleasurable to peel apart her brain and obtain the knowledge I lack. Hn-hn-hn…_

It seemed that dark clouds had descended over Setsuna, and Konoka had no clue as to what was going to happen next…

And that's a wrap! Sorry for the long wait. I've had a lot of things to do lately, and I've been pretty tired from work and haven't been able to concentrate on much else. Also, sorry the chapter is so short. I know you guys reviewed a lot so that the chapters would be longer, but action sequences are hard to write, even if I did write it in my sleep. I mean, have you noticed how short action scenes are in other stories? I don't know what it is about them, but they suck to write, even if they're fun to read. I've no idea what the next chapter will be about, so I can't give any hints about it. Well, to everybody in the US, which I think is the only country who celebrates it, have a happy labor day. To the rest of you, have a good weekend. Peace out, readers!


End file.
